


Stranger

by bakakaneki



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: AU, Alcohol, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - No Ghouls (Tokyo Ghoul), Angst, Ayato is not nice in this fic, Bottom Kaneki Ken | Sasaki Haise, CCG still means Commission Of Counter Ghoul, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Clinical Depression, DONT GET ME WRONG I LIKE AYATO BUT NOT FOR THIS FIC, Eto is a bro, Gang members are called ghouls, Hate Sex, Hide Is Amazing, Hide works for the CCG, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Torture, Its Called Aogiri, Kaneki Is Basically homeless, Kaneki Is In a Gang, Kaneki Needs a Hug, Kaneki smokes, Love/Hate, MPD, Mental Health Issues, Multi, Multiple Personality Disorder, Music, Not really at all, OOC! Kaneki ken, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Power Bottom Kaneki Ken | Sasaki Haise, Shironeki | White-haired Kaneki, Slow Burn, Smoking, Smut, Some Humor, Tooru and Kanae are Trans, Top Nagachika Hideyoshi, Trans Character, aogiri - Freeform, cute kaneki, eto is cool, for the sake of plot, heheh, homeless kaneki, insane Kaneki, possible happy ending, sociopathic tendencies, touka is a bro
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-06-22
Packaged: 2019-05-27 00:48:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15013082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bakakaneki/pseuds/bakakaneki
Summary: There was a coiled up ebony snake in his heart, one full of spite, of hate and rage, fear and anxiety. Alongside the claws tearing and shredding open his insides, desperation crawled like a centipede through his veins, numbness spreading like wildfire. He gripped his head and laughed as if he were a mental patient in a straight jacket. He probably should’ve been in one.Amidst his mind, he feels as though he’s a small child again, overflowing with blissful unawareness, infinite curiosity and fragile naivety.But that ignorance can never last long enough.ORKaneki wants a cigarette but doesn’t have any money. Incidents occur, cue blondie, he suddenly has a pocket full of ¥500 yen.Poor Hide. All he wanted was to know why a stranger was lying, and all he wants are more friends.





	Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> An idea inspired from the neighborhood I live in, I guess. And my love of Tokyo ghoul. 
> 
> Reminder: this IS AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE.

_there was a clawing in_

_his head that_

_just got louder_

_and louder_

_the more_

_he pushed it_

_away_

 

If there was one thing Kaneki despised most, it had to be his unpleasant, constant aching need for a cigarette to be in his mouth.

He knew it was bad to smoke, he was smart enough to know the negative outcomes of smoking, but that habit was a lot better as it only risked slowly decaying him instead of hundreds of other, supposedly innocent people.

Kaneki spent a little too much on his precious alcohol and— with a lingering hangover —groaned at his sheer stupidity.

With empty pockets and some poor souls void of a wallet, Kaneki had to suck up his meek pride and turn to the streets of Tokyo. He refused to ponder on the idea of asking one of his many acquaintances, as he couldn’t stoop as low to the last resort.

Although this option was probably worse at least he’d be gaining money relatively legally and would save him from both the embarrassment of asking someone he had knew and had possibly—maybe—definitely spent years disliking, and the tiring process of pick pocketing.

It was highly likely if he received money from anyone that the giver wouldn’t make a large nor specific appearance in his life later on. Best to appear as the harmless “I was abandoned by my parents” homeless instead of the “I want to eat you I’m so hungry can I kill you wait never mind you’re already running away because I look like shit and I scared your kid” homeless.

Resisting the urge to groan, Kaneki had neither a marker nor a conveniently placed rectangle of cardboard.

Now he had to actually communicate with a very naive population that called themselves the top of the food chain— although it would be odd seeing a homeless person with maybe too intricately written kanji plastered on a sign.

He was beginning to think he should just ask an ally, but then remembered they would just tell him to murder some poor soul and dig through their pockets like some tertiary predator on their last option for food.

It’s not like he hasn’t done this before anyway.

•

The worst thing about this was Kaneki was a terrible liar.

But evidently nobody paid attention to him so they couldn’t see through his sketchy façade.

“Please ma’am, please I have a sister and family that’s counting on me, please spare some money!”

The woman he begs from continues walking, looking away and crossing the street, pretending she didn’t hear him as her eyes shift and squint as though there was sun in her eyes. Even though the sky was a black emptiness. Like the woman’s soul was.

Kaneki narrows his eyes. It shouldn’t be a surprise, no, but he’s instead disgusted with the lack of sympathy handed out. Even though he isn’t one to talk, if Kaneki was actually bargaining for his family, while the people were happily playing “I Can’t See You”, his family would probably be dead by now.

Hissing, Kaneki walked away from the area he was begging at, trying to find somewhere less aggravating within the ward.

He had been in the 20th ward (練馬区, Nerima-ku) for a few weeks, stealing a train ticket to get away from the 11th ward (千代田区, Chiyoda-ku) as the increasing gang popularity was gaining unwanted attention. Adding to the fact that ward wasn’t likeable enough for Kaneki.

Though the 20th ward was known for its peaceful, relatively calm population, Kaneki learned that the people could be quite rude. Too pampered.

Naive.

There was a certain lack of morality, lack of selflessness and more of a greed for something, and that something could be... anything.

D o  
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               L d  
      d                    o

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             t  
  
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t ?

His next exhale of breath comes out as a pitiful tremble.

y

 

 

                     o

 

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             Re

  
                  W E  
                        A K  
                              —

“Hey, why are you lying?”

Kaneki is abruptly interrupted from his unwanted thoughts, and he somehow surprisingly finds himself simultaneously experiencing gratefulness and an odd, but not surprising, burning fury.

He swallows down that spite. A boy probably the same age as him, tall, bleach blonde hair and a large smile on tanned skin greets his vision.

“What?” False confusion, another lie, plasters itself on Kaneki’s face.

“You’re lying,” The blonde replies with that unwavering smile, “right now, you’re also lying because you are not confused. You don’t have a sister or a family to feed. Why are you lying?”

“How long were you following me around listening to me plead for money?”

“Long enough.”

Kaneki narrows his eyes. “Didn’t you ever learn not to talk to strangers?”

“I never really understood that concept. When you first meet anyone, they’re always strangers. When you meet a someone that’ll be your friend in the future, they were once complete strangers, too.”

“Trying to be my friend or something? I’d rather be a stranger.”

“Hi. I’m Hide, what’s your name, stranger?”

Kaneki immensely disliked the sudden change from not being talked to to being talked to.

He was not required to hand out personal information like a current events newspaper.

“Please spare some money, sir.”

“For your sister and family.”

“Sure.”

The unnerving smile makes Kaneki more uncomfortable than Hide should be of him.

“Why do you really need that money?” Hide asks, smile finally dropping.

I’m not required to tell you that.

“I wa— I need a cigarette.”

“That’s not good for you, y’know.” Kaneki despises the patronizing look that’s on “Hide”’s face, one a parent might give a child. “You don’t look like the type of person to smoke.”

“Would you rather me be the type who murders people to satiate their cravings?” He retorts, a hint of a threat lingering on his words.

“You look like a book nerd who’d stammer and throw up because of nerves on their first date.”

Kaneki holds back a snicker because he isn’t ready to get attached to yet another person, yet another corpse to die in his arms because of him.

“Give me some money and maybe I’ll buy a book with it.”

The other male laughs, a sound that makes Kaneki happy and slightly envious at the same time. As exactly ¥500 yen is thrown into his hands, Hide begins to walk away.

“I doubt it.” He closes one eye and looks back at the white haired male. “Promise not to lie to me, okay?”

He ponders in the idea, watching the males until his vision fails to reach as far as he his.

“It’s not like I’ll ever see you again...”

He looks up and sighs. Best not think too much of it.

“Not that I want to.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction, joy. I GREATLY encourage constructive criticism because I want to give anyone who reads this the best experience I can manage. 
> 
> This first chapter is mainly introducing Kaneki’s external, base view. Next chapter will be more essential.
> 
> So I did a little research on the wards, which is why I mentioned (練馬区, Nerima-ku) next to the 20th ward and (千代田区, Chiyoda-ku) next to the 11th ward. These are what the names of the wards are, If I got anything wrong please tell me.
> 
> My update schedule will be messy, I normally just post when I’m done with a chapter so don’t expect fast updates. I have frequent writers block so the updates may be a LITTLE spacey. I’ll let anyone reading this know if anything will be preventing me from updating!
> 
> (=^ェ^=)
> 
> ありがと！


End file.
